If World Leaders Went to Hogwarts... (the West in the 20th Century)

We all know it to be true- the Gryfindors are the brave house, the Ravenclaws are the smart house, the Slytherins are evil, and Hufflepuffs are just miscellaneous
...right? 

Explore the black, white, and shades of gray that exist within each house. Question why we think of Slytherins as evil and Hufflepuffs as boring as we travel through time, learning about leaders who have made their mark on the world and deciding which house they best belong to. Experience the good, evil, and somewhere in between in this Western History Survey Course.
Before class starts: Students should determine their own Hogwarts house through an official J.K. Rowling quiz that can be found on Pottermore.com or here: https://www.gotoquiz.com/pottermore_sorting_quiz_all_possible_question

Class 1: House Discussion
Philosophy of the Houses: What does it actually mean to be "'wise" or "cunning"? Are these good or bad traits? As a group, we will determine our parameters for sorting each historical leader, and what the implications are of being sorted into each house. We will share what house we are in and what that means to us. We will also discuss some overarching themes of the 20th century.
Class 2: Czar Nicholas II 
Class 3: Joseph Stalin 
Class 4: Winston Churchill
Class 5: FDR
Class 6: Fidel Castro
Class 7: Mikhail Gorbachev 
Class 8: George H.W Bush/George W Bush + reflection on our century's houses.  


Class will begin with students deciding parameters for sorting each discussed person into a Hogwarts House. Each subsequent class will have us discussing the life and legacy of each leader. We will delve into the highs and lows, the flaws, the tragedies, and the motivations of each world leader. At the end of each class, we will refer back to our parameters to decide: what house would the Sorting Hat have put this leader in? Students will have to defend their position, especially if someone else disagrees!

This is a survey social studies course that covers some prominent leaders of the 20th century of the western world. We will be primarily discussing history and philosophy. 

This class will be best suited for students who are fans of the Harry Potter series, whether books or movies. The "Hogwarts houses" will create a framework for defining character traits, and will ultimately help students expand their definition of good and bad.